Go, Read: Massive Barnaby Vol. 2 Interview; Phil Nel's ErrataIt's almost against comics' encoded DNA to get truly excited about a reprint project in the same way that fans get worked up about new comics. We have so many great reprints; you could have a satisfying relationshipo with comics at this point only reading stuff originally made 40 years and longer ago.

I haven't read a better book this year than the second volume of Fantagraphics' collection of the Crockett Johnson Barnaby strip. There's a lot of stuff in that volume I hadn't seen before, and more that I'd barely seen, so it was sort of like having a new book and, with it, new eyes on the project. Even as much of a fan of that work as I am, I was pleasantly surprised by how strong the strip remained in this second grouping of years, how the relentless narrative push of Johnson's comics mirrored the timelessness of a child's daily existence. There's no read in comics like it, and there never was.

Festivals Extra: SPX Fills Out 2014 Alt-Weekly Focus Guest Slate With A Bunch Of Appropriate TalentThis announcement was made last week, but I think it's worth noting before the moment totally passes. One of strengths of SPX is that it can go deep on its guest list due to the nature of the show, its desirability for a stopping point by potential on-site pros, and its general resources. After announcing Jules Feiffer, James Sturm and Lynda Barry in its first alt-weekly focus announcement -- a fine show right there with no one else added -- they named a second wave to include Tom Tomorrow, Jen Sorensen, Charles Burns and Ben Katchor. That is a really great line-up: Sorensen is also a good one for the 20th Anniversary celebration because that's where a lot of us remember first running into her (the award-winning editorial cartoonist was a student within driving distance). Charles Burns is one of the great comics artists. Tom Tomorrow and Ben Katchor rarely appear at show; I don't know if I've even met the former at any show, ever.

As we work our way into an era with so many good shows, how the individual shows execute a theme is going to be a bigger and bigger deal: this looks like an accomplished, thoughtful series of moves.

I also wonder if they're trying for Matt Groening, with Burns joining Barry.

By Request Extra: Locust Moon Finishing, Taking Initial Orders On Little Nemo Book Via KickstarterThis crowd-funder on behalf of an already-rolling Little Nemo tribute project has already pushed past its goal, and there are more than three weeks to get on board if you want to get on board this way. I mention it here because something about it strikes as a potential future for high end book from established publishing companies. I'm not sure why it hits me that particular way, why it's distinct from any other project, but it does -- it's probably the limited purview for the money spent; it's close-the-circle, not fund-the-dream. I could see established companies running five or six such crowd-funders a year.

Go, Read: Michael Cavna On Ultimate Auction Fate For Those Bill Watterson Pearl Before Swine Comics
Michael Cavna of the Washington Post has a full description here of something this site mentioned briefly in the HeroesCon report that went up Sunday -- the Pearl Before Swine strips exhibited there which included middle panels from reclusive legend Bill Watterson. They'll be going up for auction to benefit the Michael J. Fox Foundation For Parkinson's Research as is the case with the Team Cul De Sac efforts. You can read the formal press release here.

I believe from what I've been told it's that great friend of quality comics Todd Hignite that will be spearheading things from the Heritage Auctions end, and they'll be donating from their usual fee to the foundation as well.

Watterson has been wonderfully supportive of Richard Thompson since the diagnosis. They are currently exhibiting one room apart from one another at the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum.

Pando Fires Ted Rall Along With David Sirota In Mini-PurgeLittle explanation given. It's hard not to see this, as asserted throughout that piece, as some sort of amelioration for monied interests. In the journalist Sirota's case that's a shame since Pando's recent higher profile came due to his work. In the editorial cartoonist, editorial prose writer and sometimes journalist Rall's case, I imagine it sucks hard to lose a place where he could be well-supported for the kind of muck-raking and strident editorialization he likes to do. On the other hand, if you have to be tossed overboard, that's flattering company. I wish him the best in finding a new place of purchase and die a little bit inside about the shape of any and all well-funded journalism.

Missed It: Ulli Lust Wins Max And Moritz Prize
Discovered at this late date here, in a post by her North American publisher. I'm actually more familiar with that prize program -- it's affiliated with the festival in Erlangen -- for its lifetime achievement award, which this year went to Ralf Konig. I don't know if that's similar to the big "The Reuben" and then a bunch of divisional NCS awards, or what -- but the one Lust one is right up there. I believe it shares the same prize money, if I'm looking at these site's correctly and seeing prize money.

The original posts notes that Lust's autobiographical work was also the winner of the LA Times Book Prize in its category and received an Ignatz.

Critics Group ACBD Celebrates 30 Years; Releases Latest ListsI enjoyed this article over at the French-language comics news clearinghouse ActuaBD.com about the 30th anniversary of L'Association des Journalists et des critics de la bande dessinée. The article deals with the shift from a combination of local newspaper writer and hobbyists to more of a sprawling organization that includes writers for national and international publications. Rare for an article like this one, Gilles Ratier is singled out for his work in providing that organization with a bit of analytical heft year-in, year-out.

They also released two lists: a summer books recommendations list and the nominees for their Asian book prize, with announcement of the winner coming in about a week at the Japan Expo. The former list includes a few familiar names including Riad Sattouf, Manu Larcenet and Blutch.

The cartoonist Jeremy Eaton has opened up a home gallery to show off his various works, and to provide them to patrons at a price he promises will be below the price for which they're available on-line. Eaton's a talented artist and one of the nicest men to ever work in comics, so I hope if you're in Seattle you'll take advantage. As mentioned above, Eaton's e-mail to arrange a viewing is I know that a lot of cartoonists have work at home, but I'm not sure I've ever seen this kind of thing attempted to this degree.

* here's one I hadn't noticed: my peer Henry Chamberlain, who also makes comics, has a gofundme thing going. I hope that this will attract the attention of at least a few of the other writers about comics and that they'll attempt a small donation.

* finally, this animated project that would have employed the talents of that fine cartoonist Pat Moriarity, well, it doesn't look to have ever gained that initial burst of attention and subsequent traction.

* finally, here's a short piece on the role of bullying in geek subcultures. I'm not sure there's a lot of clarity in that piece -- it was hard for me to sort out its main points -- and that precede full engagement with their content, but it's always healthy to be negotiating that material. Comics is responsible for an industry, a fan and an event culture, which is a lot.